LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – Siena Basketball is hoping to create a little magic at the Happiest Place on Earth during Feast Week. The Saints are set to play three high-major opponents in four days when they compete in the prestigious ESPN Events Invitational held in the State Farm Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Siena opens against perennial Atlantic Coast Conference contender Florida State Thanksgiving morning at 11 a.m. in a nationally televised matchup on ESPN2.
 
Siena (2-2) is in search of its first-ever win at the annual Thanksgiving Week classic, formally known as the Orlando Invitational, Orlando Classic, Old Spice Classic, and Advocare Invitational. The Saints are making their third appearance in the event after having previously competed in both 2008 and 2013. Siena was scheduled to participate in the 2020 Orlando Invitational before it was canceled due to COVID. The Saints have dropped their previous seven games in the event by an average of 11 points, albeit five matchups have come against high-major opponents including a pair vs. nationally ranked teams.
 
Following their Thanksgiving morning tilt vs. Florida State (1-4), Siena will face either Ole Miss or Stanford on Friday. The winners of Thursday's contests will meet at 11 a.m. Friday on ESPN, with the losers playing at 1:30 p.m. Friday on ESPNews. The Saints will conclude play in the eight-team bracketed event on Sunday against any one of Memphis, Nebraska, Oklahoma, or Seton Hall. Siena is 7-12 all-time vs. this year's field, having played Seton Hall more times (10) than any other opponent, albeit not since 1974.
 
Florida State enters the ESPN Events Invitational coming off its first win of the season, 81-72 Monday night over Mercer in Tallahassee. The Seminoles had dropped each of their first four contests, including three to lower level opponents in Stetson, UCF, and Troy. Predicted to finish fifth out of 15 teams according to the ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Florida State posted a 17-14 overall record last season including a 10-10 league mark.
 
Siena and Florida State meet for just the second time, with the then ninth-ranked Seminoles edging the Saints 89-80 in the Preseason NIT on Nov. 18, 1992 in Tallahassee. Future NBA stars Sam Cassell and Bob Sura scored 24 points apiece for Florida State. Siena is 7-24 against the 15 current members of the ACC and has dropped three straight, with their last win coming over former head coach Paul Hewitt and Georgia Tech 62-57 on Dec. 22, 2010 in Albany.
 
Rich Hollenberg and Chris Spatola have the call of Siena's games both Thursday and Friday on the ESPN Family of Networks. The Thanksgiving Day matchup, which will be nationally televised on ESPN2, is available to Spectrum subscribers in the Capital Region on Channel 25, and can also be found on DirecTV Channel 209 and DISH Channel 143.
 
The "Voice of the Saints" Emmanuel Berbari and Conner Fenlon '12 have the radio call of all three Siena games at the ESPN Events Invitational locally in the Capital Region on ALT 104.9 FM and online at alt1049albany.com.